The Departed
by Eboni Black
Summary: Kagome is gone. Long gone. Unknown to her friends it wasn't by choice. She's on her own, facing the fears of a life surrounded by torture. Welcome to hell, dearly departed
1. Chapter 1

A/N: SO….I'm bored on summer vacation and this kinda popped into my brain while I was working…so we'll try it out and see how it goes…hopefully it turns out alright. ^_^ Thanks for reading, ENJOY!

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_What is that awful noise?_

The thought flowed, unbidden, through her mind. It was the first in a very long time and the fact that she could still even think was a little scary. After a few moments of contemplation she realized what the horrendous sound was; the one that seemed persistent upon bouncing off of every wall and reverberating sharply through the air.

It was the sound of her screams.

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"Do you think Kagome will ever come back?" Shippo whispered the words quietly while he fidgeted nervously alongside his companion. He knew the consequences of uttering that name aloud; primarily involving a serious confrontation with the disgruntled hanyou that insisted upon leading they're pack. He wasn't looking forward to another beating and he was hoping to keep the peace for as long as possible. Since Kagome wasn't here to diffuse any situations anymore, their fighting usually lasted quite awhile with biting words that everyone regretted later.

A few moments passed in which the fox kit continued to twitch intermittently, unable to calm himself until a reply had been given. His sharp green eyes glanced around them warily taking in the gently swaying trees and the bird chirping away in the forest surrounding them. The path upon which they were walking was wet from the previous night's unexpected rain making the trail give slightly under their feet as the mud oozed around them like a slow moving quicksand. Shippo shuddered visibly, unable to stop the feeling that they're group was much like the much pooling around their feet; giving way to the much larger weight of life and unable to control the directions in which they were pushed.

Sango turned her head slightly, acknowledging the fact that she had heard him. Her chocolate eyes were morose as she shrugged, unable to confirm or deny the kitsune's question. Running her fingers quickly through her waist-length raven hair she sighed. She missed her best friend terribly and constantly wondered why she would just up and leave them one day without a word. Tugging lightly on the slightly raspy bright green cloth covering her legs she felt the ache fill her whenever she thought about their missing comrade. Pushing those thoughts aside she tried to decide on the best answer.

"I don't know, Shippo. I wish she would but, who knows why she left in the first place?" She responded in the same hushed tones in which the question had been spoken. She didn't want to scare the kit and while she knew him to be much older than his appearance, he still seemed very much a child in her eyes. She looked him over quickly noting how he hadn't changed much, other than the slightly longer bright red ponytail, which was typical of the fox demons who aged at a much slower rate than most youkai. Her instinct to protect him outweighed her need to speak the truth; Kagome wasn't coming back, ever.

Shippo turned his bright green eyes to study the demon slayer, taking note of the changes that had occurred in her since the departure of their beloved Kagome. She still wore the same multi-hued pink and green kimono with her Hiraikotsu strapped to her back. Her hair was slightly longer as much time had passed and her eyes looked tired and worn, the edges turning down. Nothing happy emanated from her appearance now. After Kohaku's final death and Kagome's leaving the slayer had nothing to be glad for.

"Quiet, he's listening now." The third voice chimed in abruptly halting anything either party might say in favor of silence. Miroku looked hesitantly between Shippo and Sango and Inuyasha. He could see the tension building within the hanyou and knew that at any moment he would burst, hurling a quiet evening into a loud raucous fight that nobody could win and always ended horribly. He tugging his purple-hued robs back into their place and quickly smoothed his short black hair into its customary ponytail. His violet eyes shifted around the area they were occupying, on the alert for anything out of the ordinary.

He smiled slightly at Sango who simply turned her head away. His lips quickly fell into a frown as he noted the deepening depression within the woman he loved and felt helpless to stop it. He glanced at Shippo, silently telling him to keep an eye on the woman before turning his head forward and approaching the solitary figure just ahead of them.

He counted his steps, trying to put off the inevitable, as he approached the downtrodden looking hanyou. While Miroku knew that Inuyasha cared greatly for the miko who once travelled with them, he wasn't expecting the sudden depressed and hopeless aura that the hanyou exuded the morning after Kagome's departure. To say that extreme emotions that the hanyou expressed were a surprise would be a mild understatement.

The monk sighed, "Inuyasha, we must rest for the night. The sun is setting and soon we won't have much light left to make camp which would make it extremely difficult to obtain any sort of meal for supper." He watched as the tension drained slowly from the shoulders of his best friend, wishing that he could find a way to make it better, to complete their group again. But he was only one monk, and the fact that even Inuyasha couldn't find her in her own time meant that she never had any intention of being found or returning to them.

"Feh, I'm not hungry." He didn't even glance back, his honey-hued eyes trained forward as his arms stayed folded into the sleeves of his fire-rat haori. Waiting a few more moments in case the monk wanted anything else he took his leave, jumping high into the trees where he could be alone, completely and utterly alone.

As Kagome had left him.

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Gurgling sounds could be heard ricocheting off the walls, playing their own haunting melody in tandem with the other noises intent upon creating a chilling harmony. Flesh being torn from bones, screams of torture and pain, and finally the dull thud of bodies hitting the floor in their deceased state joined in the hideous song.

The only thing worse than the sound was the smell.

She had become impervious to it only from the length of time in which she had been exposed to the putrid stench. At first she had fought back bile every time she awoke, unable to resist adding the smell of vomit to the disgusting smells floating about her head, but now it was simply another testament to the hell she was in. The biting smell of blood, urine, feces and decaying flesh had long become mundane things that she was forced to live with.

The only thing that caused her to sit up and take notice was a new sound, one not belonging to the realms of torture and death, which chilled her to the core. She shivered and curled tighter into her ball, hoping against hope that she would never have to come face to face with that sound. Even as she prayed to whatever deity that would listen to her she knew that her whispered words of faith were for not, the sound kept getting closer.

Deep rumbling snarls of anger and hate.

It was finally her time to die.

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A/N…..let me know if I should continue……This was stuck in my head so let me know if it seems interesting?


	2. Answers

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of its residual characters, products, etc.

Warnings: Gore, Violence, Attempted NC

Rating: MA

Enjoy!

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When the door burst open to reveal the most grotesque looking creature she had ever seen the urge to scream was strong. What came out was a pathetic whimper while her body trembled in fear. She could see that the beast could smell her terror on the air when his nostrils flared widely, puffing in recognition of the scent that teased his senses so deliciously.

She couldn't look at its face, the cross between a bird and a goat was too horrifying when it was glaring at her in such a hateful way. Its body wasn't much better, the nude flesh was an off-yellow color sprinkled in dark coarse hair that thickened and surrounded its manhood that hung heavily away from its body. This had to be some sick joke, the kamis must be laughing at her as she realized what it was that they intended to do to her.

This beast, this ugly _thing_, wasn't there to kill her and dispatch her to the other world. It was here for a more basic and primal purpose, she could sense the arousal coming off the creature in waves that caused her body to tremble harder. She idly wondered what sick being had decided that this was to be her fate?

Without warning the ugly thing lunged at her slamming her back hard against the stone floor of the cell she had called her home for a length of time she couldn't seem to remember. The beast landed heavily on top of her, ripping what was left of her tattered clothing from her body as it sought its pleasure from her. Its clawed fingers dug sharply into her flesh leaving deep gouges where her blood could ooze slowly from the wounds.

She tried to kick, the struggle, to do _something_ but her body wasn't listening to her as she trembled in fear. She never wanted this to happen, she didn't even know why she was in that place, in that situation. Regardless, she knew that the beast would win, it would rip her innocence from her and seek its pleasure inside of her body and she may or may not be broken after the event.

Until the most peculiar thing happened.

Its clawed fingers sought to bury themselves within her when something inside of her snapped, protecting her body from this invasion. The light lavender colors danced along her skin, purifying the demon in an instant before any damage could be done to her womanhood. The smell of burnt flesh and hair filled her nostrils but even the vile stench couldn't overcome her relief that her powers had protected her.

Maybe there was some hope after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~Elsewhere*~*~*~*~*~~*

Lord Sesshomaru sat at the high table, bored out of his mind but refusing to show the Northern Lord his disinterest in this whole affair. His clawed fingertip gently traced the rim of the goblet in front of him in an effort to appease his severe boredom. The pompous panther demon was prattling on about some theory or the other that the Western Lord really couldn't care less about.

"And so, if we could accomplish an offspring of miko birth with a demon father, that child would be powerful enough to take over anything it so chose. It would be unmatched." He sounded so excited that the Lord almost felt guilty for not listening to a word the demon was saying. He was searching his mind for a way out of this whole affair, to excuse himself from the feast being held in his honor so that he could simply go back to his own lands, his own people, and more importantly get away from the vile stench of _cat._

He opened his mouth to speak when a sudden rush of power brushed across his senses, the pure bright feeling accompanying it signified that the power was of miko origin. Now what was it the panther was saying about mikos a moment ago?

He stood abruptly, glaring coldly at the panther when he recognized the aura behind the powerful outburst. He didn't even explain his sudden departure when his footsteps took him out of the dining hall and into one of the corridors of the mansion. He walked swiftly as he drew closer to the aura and the faint smells of death, blood, and other disgusting things tickled his nose.

He stopped as he reached a thick door separating himself from the person he was looking to find.

"You failed to tell this Sesshomaru that you were putting your theories to practice." He said the words calmly as the panther Lord approached him, but his aura mimicked his fury that such a thing was being done to unsuspecting and innocent women, although miko. He steeled himself for the onslaught of sounds and smells that were sure to assault his sensitive hearing and smell when he roughly yanked the door open.

He continued to walk forward even as he fought the urge to gag against the overpowering scents that were contained in the corridor lined with cells that were both empty and full. He knew the panther demon was behind him, trailing him, trying to come up with some excuse that would make the daiyoukai forget all about this. He, however, would not be persuaded, the aura he was seeking was far too important to leave to such a fate.

He rounded the corner when he saw the cell he was looking for, the door still slightly ajar as the scent of freshly burned flesh reached him. He opened the door wider and stopped to inventory the room he was looking into. His brother's wench lay still on the floor as if unable to believe that she were still alive, though he could see the distinct signs of her breathing and the trembling of muscles long underfed. The bones of the demon that had been trying to attack her still lay half upon her while some of the skeleton had detached itself and rolled across the floor away from her prone body.

He rounded on the panther demon standing behind him, "You fool! This is the Shikon Miko." His anger was almost incontrollable as he realized the severity of the situation that the Northern Lord had put himself in. Kidnapping and attempting to rape an innocent miko was one thing, while still punishable by death, but doing the same to the miko who held the fate of the world in her hands was something else entirely. Even the usually stoic Lord could sense the importance of the miko in the future battles to come against the vile hanyou that had his sights set upon controlling the universe.

Without waiting for the excuses that were bound to come from the panther demon's filthy mouth, the Inu Lord dispatched him with a quick flick of his claws, leaving him headless and deceased upon the floor. He grunted his satisfaction and turned back to the trembling girl.

Now he was at somewhat of a loss, having never been in a situation where he had to comfort a terrified woman who had just survived and thwarted an attack on her person. She surprised him when she sat up fully, obviously not quite aware of her nudity in his presence, before standing shakily to her feet. He nearly growled in anger as he saw how thin she was, the small bones of her hips and ribs protruding severely against her taught flesh.

"Lord Sesshomaru." The words were faint, whispered, but in the silence of the dungeon it rang out as if she had shouted the words at him. He nodded his affirmative and was taken aback as she smiled; a slow smile that spread across her gaunt face and lit up her sunken eyes. How anyone could smile when they were in such a state was a human emotion that was far beyond his ability to grasp but he was grateful that she wasn't in hysterics.

He walked forward slowly, approaching her tiny form while removing the top layer of his kimono and draping it across her shoulders. The process was made easier by the fact that he wasn't wearing his armor as it was seen as disrespectful while in the home of another Lord. She clutched the material in her bony fingers as she removed it from her person.

"Don't! I'll get it bloody." He raised a silver eyebrow in question when she looked at him helplessly. While the words themselves truly held no meaning to him the emotions behind them were volatile; fear, loss, hope, and relief were all reflected in those words.

He pressed forward and tugged the cloth back into place, "It is alright, miko."

She smiled again, though he could not fathom why she was smiling at him so much. The smile was short lived however, as consciousness abandoned her and she fell forward into his arms. He wrapped the cloth around her and secured it so that she was sufficiently covered before lifting her, her knees supported by one arm while the other wrapped securely around her back before he left the world of horror that she had known for obviously quite some time.

He did not know why the powerful feelings of rage and protectiveness for her surfaced, as they did whenever she was around. He could not begin to analyze the feelings when he himself had never experienced them towards another creature, but as he pushed the emotions back down beneath his calm control he knew that he would not be letting her out of his sight for quite some time.

But first, before anything could be done, he had to find his imbecile brother's pack. He needed to know just what had happened to lead to such a fate for the miko resting in his hold.

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A/N: Alright, I know it's kinda slow starting and this chapter is kinda short, however, they will get longer and more involved as the story continues. I just have to the ball rolling. Let me know what you think!


	3. What Happpened?

A/N SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET OUT! I moved into a new place and through all the packing, moving, and unpacking, I completely spaced! Sorry! Hope you enjoy this!

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"_Inuyasha!" She strode forward quickly, following the white head of hair that seemed intent upon eluding her. "Inuyasha, wait! Where are we going?"_

_She was confused, he had never acted like this before and she wondered if something terrible had happened. She had been sitting at camp, staring into the fire while the others slept when she looked up to see Inuyasha staring in at her from the edge of the forest. He had told her to follow him, and while no explanation had been given she trusted that it was important and offered no protest as she rose to follow. _

_But now she was becoming wary, they were much too far from camp and the hanyou showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. As she looked around she saw that the trees were too thick to see a clear path to where he was taking her, which only caused her worries to increase. _

_Abruptly he stopped though he did not turn to face her. _

_She waited for a few moments hoping that some explanation would be given for their quick departure from the others. But no answers were forthcoming, instead he started to laugh. _

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Kagome awoke, startled and disoriented, knowing nothing about where she was and how she got there. She felt that she was on something soft, maybe a blanket or grass, but her pounding heart distracted her from looking around her to figure out where she was. Instead she rolled over and buried her face into the overly large kimono she was wrapped in and curled up into the tightest ball she could manage. The position brought her some comfort, closing in the world around her until all she knew was the dark space between her ribcage and her knees.

She always had this dream and always she woke up in the same manner. It terrified her to think of what happened next and still she couldn't figure out exactly what had occurred. She knew it was terrible. That it led to where she was now, but the thought of looking back and figuring it out caused her to mentally run in fear.

It wasn't until she had calmed somewhat that she realized the soft silk of the garment she was laying on was not the same as the tattered cloth she had covered herself with for months. She opened her eyes slowly, warily, before lifting her head from its cradle and looking around at the bright green grass and the thick dark brown trunks of the trees surrounding her.

This was not the same place.

She was free.

But how?

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Sesshomaru stared straight ahead and out into the forest surrounding the clearing where he was guarding the miko. He had placed himself in a spot where she would have to fully turn in order to see him as he didn't wish to completely startle her when she awoke. The last time he had seen her and her group they were on better terms, but they weren't exactly friendly. He assumed that her first reaction to his presence would be one of fear as he figured that she would be extremely disoriented when she woke.

Unfortunately his resting place had put her form in his direct eyesight and every few seconds his gaze would travel back to her slumbering form. He was still trying to figure out how she had ended up at the mercy of the Northern Lord. While the panther demon was not particularly clever, his capture of the miko indicated some deviousness on his part.

Either the capture had been by coincidence or it had been planned.

Neither option sat well with the Daiyoukai.

His theories ranged from the miko being stupid enough to wander off on her own or she was lured from her group by either friend or foe. He could not be sure of any of his guesses until the girl awoke and was able to account for her condition personally.

Even as he was thinking about these possibilities his instincts were screaming that there was something more going on behind this whole affair. He could not say what but he had learned that his instincts were rarely wrong and that they should be heeded in all conditions.

His gaze quickly shifted to the miko as he heard her stir from her sleep. She was muttering nonsense about Inuyasha and trees when she awoke and did the most peculiar thing. She huddled in on herself, curling up as a child would after a terrible nightmare and whether the motion was for protection or comfort the Lord could not tell. He watched her form tremble and decided it would be best for her to relax on her own as his presence would probably terrify her more in her current state.

He waited patiently until her muscles relaxed and she moved her head to gaze out at the vegetation covering the land they were currently using. He stayed silent as she sat up and gazed around in wonder, slowly turning her head from side to side as if in disbelief.

He figured this would be the best time to announce his presence. Standing, he quietly made his way until he was a few feet behind her. He waited for her to settle before speaking.

"Miko." She whirled around so fast that she toppled over in her attempts to see who was speaking. Straightening, she gazed at him in the same wonder that he had seen only moments before but said nothing. "Miko, this Sesshomaru released you from your imprisonment." He watched the emotions flow across her face openly; curiosity, fear, terror, relief, and once again hope.

But still she did not speak.

"Miko, tell this Sesshomaru how you came to be in such a state." He leveled his gaze at her, taking in her too thin frame and taught skin where there had once been a healthy amount of flesh. She shrugged but still did not say anything. He hid his surprise and merely blinked at her, waiting for some sort of explanation beyond the physical motion.

Seeing that none was forthcoming he motioned with his hand toward the food that he had placed beside her. He had hunted and prepared the rabbit so that she would have food when she woke in order to correct that malnourishment that her body had been subjected to for obviously quite some time.

She turned her head towards the meal and quickly turned her gaze back to him and once again giving him that smile that had him wondering about her sanity. She nodded her head once and picked up the spitted rabbit before delicately tearing off a piece of the meat and bringing it to her mouth. She sucked the juices from the cooked meat before popping the object into her mouth and chewing slowly.

He watched her swallow and then immediately roll to empty her stomach onto the cool grass. Apparently her body had been without substantial food for such a long time that it was rejecting anything that she sought to eat. He mentally sighed; this was going to take more work than he had previously anticipated.

Making a quick decision that he refused to analyze he knelt beside her prone form and pulled her back into a sitting position. He tore a piece from the rabbit, smaller than the one that she had consumed, and held it to her lips. After a slight hesitation she opened her mouth and he placed the meat inside and watched her chew slowly and then swallow. Waiting a few moments until he was sure she would not again reject the food, he tore another piece from the carcass and waited for her to accept the morcel. He continued this process until he decided that she had had enough to eat without overdoing it.

Standing and moving away from the girl he still refused to analyze his actions as he understood they were severely out of character for him. Sesshomaru glanced back to the girl and watched as she slowly stood on shaky legs before looking up at him in question.

"Come, miko. We must depart." Gracefully he began to walk forward at a pace that the weakened girl could keep up with. She needed to regain her strength or she would never endure the trials that were to come, trials in which she must prevail if the world was to survive.

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A/N SO…..tell me what you think, I know it's super short but I'm getting there!


	4. Kami Help us ALL

A/N: Alright, I'm trying to update quickly so we'll see how this goes!

Enjoy!

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"Inuyasha, we need to talk." Miroku really did not want to be having this conversation with the surly hanyou, but the matter needed to be discussed and seeing as the monk was the only one Inuyasha would even remotely talk to, he had been volunteered for the job.

"We don't need to talk about anything, Miroku." Inuyasha didn't turn to face the man that was speaking to him, instead looking off into the distance as if deep in thought or extremely irritated. "I don't know where Kagome is. I don't know what happened to her. I don't want to talk about it. The jewel shards need to be found whether or not she comes back so just leave it, okay?"

He folded his clawed fingers into the oversized sleeves of his haori as if to say '_discussion over'. _The monk however, would not be deterred this time, the matter was too important. He just needed to figure out a way to broach the subject without completely setting the hanyou off and ruining whatever shred of sanity their group had left. The monk could feel the tension between them as clearly as he could feel the ground beneath his feet, and he had no doubts that even the smallest of fights would ruin whatever chances they had at sticking together.

Deciding it would be better to just be heard, Miroku said the words that he had been dreading, "What about Kikyou?" Miroku winced as he saw the hanyou stop dead in his tracks, his feet glued in place as shock swept through him. "She would be able to sense if Kagome is in this realm, no? They share a soul and as such she could use that connection to find Kagome."

He said it, it was all he could do, but now it was time for a strategic retreat. The idea had been planted in the mind of their half-demon leader, and now it was time to let him think it over. He needed to weigh his options and come out with a reasonable solution; it was all that the group could ask of him.

Yet at the same time, Miroku had the foreboding feeling that this was their last chance at finding their friend.

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Silence.

Not that the forest they were walking through was silent. Or that the creatures inhabiting the land around them were silent. The Earth and sky weren't even silent.

But she, the miko, was silent.

Why this was a concern for someone like the Great Lord of the West was indiscernible, but he knew it was starting to irritate him. She was always so chatty, even back in the times when he would confront his mongrel of a half-brother she had been talkative. Annoyingly so.

But now she never uttered so much as a syllable, of anything; protest, thanks, fear….nothing.

He had already fed her by hand that morning; he refused to lower himself once more just to inspire conversation with a lowly human who associated herself with dirty half-breeds and misfits. She may be important but she was not worth his pride, at least right now.

But still, her silence was beginning to get to him, to make him concerned. To make him worry.

And the Great Lord of the West never worried about anyone.

This only served to irritate him all the more causing his current impasse. So he either let the silence continue and therefore the cycle of worry, frustration, and concern or he could lower himself to the level of a ningen and talk to her, try to get her to speak of something. Coming to a quick decision that would make it simply look as if he was searching for information, Sesshomaru planned his next words carefully.

"Where did you last see Inuyasha?" It created a reaction from the miko, but not nearly the one he was expecting. Instead of instant chatter or even continued silence, she whimpered. He turned to gaze upon her, to figure out why such a sound was made towards his statement and saw that she was almost fighting to stay upright. He was sure that her first urge was to sink to the ground and curl up as he had seen her do that morning.

He waited a few moments until the trembling in her legs had stopped. "Miko, you must tell this Sesshomaru what happened." He waited as she stared at him, looking like she was weighing her options between telling him and keeping her answers to herself.

"Inuya-yasha," She fumbled with the name and stopped, clearing her throat, and then continued, "Inuyasha said I needed to follow him."

She said no more on the matter, but the daiyoukai could piece the rest together himself. From what he assumed she was saying that the hanyou had led her away from camp, alone, and then something had happened in which the result had been her capture.

But why? Why would the hanyou who so devoutly protected this human girl suddenly lead her out into the middle of nowhere and then essentially leave her for dead? It made no sense, and if there was anything that irritated the Youkai Lord it was when things didn't make sense.

However he made no comment to the mikos words and simply nodded, silently telling her that she had done well in relaying her raspy words of brief explanation. She smiled again and he once again fell into the confusion that always seemed to come in the wake of that smile.

One thing was certain and that was until Sesshomaru could figure out exactly what the hanyou had done, it was not safe to bring the Shikon Miko back into his care, which meant he would have to find temporary accommodations for her. He mentally sighed when he realized that this would only complicate his life further. But it was too important, _she_ was too important, for him to leave in the hands of someone who might potentially be a traitor to their cause.

However, it was bad enough that he had a human ward within his care who was currently residing in his home, but now he was bringing home another woman, a powerful miko, into a place where primarily demons lived. The Kami's must be laughing at him, there was no other explanation for the situation he was being placed in, having to care for a human woman who could purify all the residents in his palace if she set her mind to it but not having another option in which the fate of the world would be preserved.

"Miko." He watched at her attention shifted back to his face, the cool azure eyes open and honest. "This Sesshomaru shall take you back to the palace. Rin, my ward, is there as well as many accommodations that will assist in your recovery." She merely nodded in response, apparently content to let him lead her life for the time being.

He frowned; the miko he knew would be mid-rant about how she was independent and could make decisions for herself. He figured that this just shows what trauma and hard-living can do to a person, humans especially who are so fragile and short-lived. It was then that Sesshomaru decided that she would be restored to her former self; it was too painful and confusing for him to see her in such a state. Loud and brash were personality traits that he knew how to handle but meek and fragile were completely out of his realm. However, the most compelling reason was that he sensed an inner strength within her and his instincts were telling him that it was this strength that would finally defeat Naraku.

It was probably that irritating and confusing smile.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Kikyou." The name hung in the air, cold and foreboding, but she had to heed the beckoning of its maker.

Kikyou walked the hallways of the play-mansion that Naraku seemed to favor, the illusion as always made a rundown villa look expensive and extraordinary, but when he left it would once again be nothing more than a pile of ruins. She finally rounded the corner that would lead her to the evil hanyou's personal quarters, relieved to see that his soulless incarnation Kanna was nowhere to be found. That particular creature unnerved her, the depthless eyes that could draw you in were a source of fear for the undead miko. She only had part of her soul left, she didn't exactly want it sucked out of her so soon.

She parted the shoji doors and entered the chamber, noticing Naraku reclining on his bed roll off to the side of the room. She knew he liked to play his power games, so without orders from him she kneeled upon the floor, looking very much the part of the obedient servant waiting for directions.

"Rise, Kikyou. I do not wish to play games with you this night." She stared at him, trying to figure out his mood and what was to happen next. "Inuyasha is going to come looking for you. He is going to try to convince you search for your long lost reincarnation."

"Isn't she locked up in some hell-hole somewhere?" Kikyou blinked, confused, certain that Naraku had told her that her reincarnation's doom was imminent and she would once again contain the entirety of her soul.

"She was. Somehow she escaped. That idiot of a panther demon is probably to blame, he couldn't contain a prisoner if the felon locked themselves up personally." She could hear the underlying rage in his tone, he was not happy with this turn of events. It definitely complicated things. "The point is, my dear Kikyou, that your lost lover is going to try to find you. Elude him. We must make sure that this part of the plan does not occur until I have located the girl, understood?"

She nodded, "Yes, Naraku."

Kikyou rose to leave and once she had reached the doors Naraku stopped her, "And Kikyou? It's Master to you." She fought back the urge to shudder at his declaration and continued out the doors, intent upon planning out her days until Naraku said that she could be found. Inuyasha meant nothing, not in the face of a power so great that the Kami's themselves would be overwhelmed by it.

At one point she had cared for him, but that was before Naraku offered her a place where she could control everything the world had to offer.

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Weeks passed without incident, the miko had been brought to the Western Palace and with only a little fuss had settled into a routine. She would take Rin out to the gardens and speak quietly with her, though Sesshomaru never knew what they spoke of. He did know that his ward's behavior had become more refined since being in the young woman's presence so he saw nothing wrong with the arrangement.

Summer was preparing to settle into fall, he could feel in on his skin and smell it in the air. Time was moving forward and yet the Lord felt that he was at a perpetual standstill. No more information regarding the Miko's capture and containment surfaced, and though the miko herself had once again taken to speaking she refused to settle on topics concerning her torturous time in the Northern Lord's hands.

Sesshomaru was sitting in his study, pondering and rolling ideas about in his head for lack of better things to do. The scrolls for the day were completed and his next appointment wasn't for another few hours, so the Lord was taking the time to relax and simply think about the circumstances leading to his current living situation. Not that he held any complaints towards the miko, she had been an exemplary guest thus far, but there were some concerns.

She had taken to muttering to herself, but only when she was alone and not when others were near her. But the demon hearing that resided in the palace could tell that she was not silent when she was by herself and it was raising concerns. She also refused to wear the finer garments that the daiyoukai had provided her with, instead running her fingers over the smooth silk and cooing her awe at the designs. But she refused to try them on and wear them about as an honorary guest of the Lord should.

He could not pry any answers from her about anything, not the speaking to herself or her reasons for refusing the clothing he had provided her with and quite frankly it was frustrating him. He was not used to being in the dark about anything, doubly so for things going on under his roof.

But the only answer she would give him when he started asking such questions was, "In time." Followed by a light smile and an abrupt change of subject.

However none of this compared to the feelings that were surfacing within him since she had arrived at the palace a few weeks previously. She was intriguing to him, interesting to listen to and educated in ways that he had never encountered in his dealings with humans in the past. She would talk to him, quietly when they were alone, about matters that he almost knew nothing of. This was not something he had ever been subjected to before, feeling inadequate in his teachings.

The whole situation made him feel….curious. It was an emotion he thought long buried within himself as he had already learned everything that any teacher or tutor could have given to him. She was a most peculiar human and something inside of him was aching to ask more, to learn more, from her. He needed to figure her out; it was almost as if his very own life depended upon it.

It was this need for another creature that unsettled him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They thought she was crazy. But Kagome knew that she wasn't insane, she wasn't even remotely a little unstable. However, she did know things, hear things, and see things that others didn't. They would never understand the things she knew because they were never meant to understand.

The Departed.

At least that's how they introduced themselves to her every time they came to speak with her. They weren't so much dead people as they were souls intent upon carrying out the messages that the Kami's gave them.

She remembered a movie from her own time that could almost compare to her situation. Although the name eluded Kagome, she remembered it was about a grumpy old man named Scrooge and ghosts who came to teach him so that he would not continue down the wrong path and eventually to his doom.

That was something like what she was going through, only it was so much more.

She was going to change the world. They had told her so.

They would come to her periodically in no preordained time or place and speak with her. They would tell her and teach her important things so that she may succeed in her mission to save the world. They would guide her when she needed direction to the right path in which their plan must be laid. Creating the future from which the past must always be present.

It helped that the Kami's were timeless. They were everywhere, every time, and every place. They knew of the paths that could be chosen in relation to the paths that had been walked. They knew the future before they knew of the past and they could change anything on a whim. Until they had decided to save the world.

There was one soul that came to her frequently to train her and guide her in the preparation for the times to come. Her name was Kayame. She was from a time before priests and priestesses, before palaces and farming. She was a warrior in a time where fighting was inconsequential but necessary. She was beautiful.

She was the one who told Kagome of her future.

The story that Kagome was given was of creation, absolution, and sacrifice. The Kami's had created the world and in it life. They formed things at will, changed futures and modified pasts. Every creature was like clay in their hands to be molded into something incredible. Until an evil soul had been created by accident and the kami's could no longer make it beautiful.

They tried many tactics, changing the paths of other beings, changing the Earth itself but all of those trails led to the same thing; doom. So the Kami's, in an effort to preserve the creatures they had loved so dearly, gave up their control of the universe to create one being who could destroy the soul which sought to end everything: Kagome.

They made her with everything they could control and put her on a path that would lead her to her destiny. She was a child of the future sent back to change the past into a better journey.

Kayame could not tell her everything though, she said that Kagome needed to learn some lessons on her own for the fate of the world to be secured. Kayame had told her that some of the paths would be difficult and some of the lessons hard but in the end they would be worth more than any gold or money could buy.

Kagome was also told that The Departed would only come to her periodically to offer guidance where necessary and that once her fate had been fulfilled she would be left alone to the live the life destined for her.

So no, Kagome was not crazy, though she could hear how the other beings in the palace spoke of the crazy miko that Lord Sesshomaru had entrusted with the care of his human ward.

But she had a purpose, a destiny. And Kami help those who decided to get in her way.

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A/N: Alright. So I know this is kinda confusing and a little out there, but bear with me I promise it will all start to make sense soon.

I would also like to say one important thing. KAGOME IS NOT CRAZY. Her…situation will be further explained in later chapters, but just realize that she is not crazy.

Thanks you!.

Review please?


	5. Not Again?

A/N Hello Everyone! I just wanna say that I'm tickled to see how much support I'm getting for this story! It's exciting! I've never had this much feedback ever! Thank you guys so much!

Enjoy!

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"Miko, who is it that you speak to when you're alone in the gardens?" Sesshomaru's curiosity was beginning to eat away at him and the fact that she never answered his questions only furthered his frustration. He knew his question was abrupt from the way she seemed to jump from the sudden sound of his voice in the otherwise quiet room.

"I can't tell you that Sesshomaru and you know it." She smiled her soft smile at him, her eyes slightly crinkling in the corners and her azure orbs glittering with mischief. He was starting to hate that smile.

"This Sesshomaru must know of all goings on in this domain, Miko." He sent her a light glare to emphasize his point. He knew that contrary to what the other demons were saying about the girl, she was not insane and his proof lay in the fact that she was completely logical and level headed in everything she did. But that didn't stop him from worrying, in his own way, of the repercussions of her actions. "The other demons are becoming restless; they think you are a liability and a threat. You must tell this Sesshomaru what is going on so that you may be protected properly."

Kagome was beginning to get frustrated with the conversation. She wanted so badly to tell him of her secrets and what was really going on. He had taken such tremendous care of her that she felt guilty for not being able to appease him in his one request, but until she was told otherwise by her supernatural companions, she couldn't speak of the things she was told.

Disheartened, she stood and brushed her kimono free of any dust or lint that may have attached itself to her and left. She refused to look at him, afraid to see the disappointment and anger reflected in his detached golden orbs. Closing the shoji doors of the dining hall behind her, she winced as she heard the loud crash of fine china being thrown.

Usually she was supposed to wait to be escorted through the hallways of the Western Palace in order to protect her from any threat that the demons of the land might pose to her. But today she wanted to be alone and instead let her feet take her through the familiar wooden hallways of the home she had come to feel welcome in. Lost in her thoughts she didn't even bother to look where she was going and it wasn't until the fresh crisp air of the outdoors reached her nose that she looked up.

She loved this place, the gardens. It was open and tranquil, giving her an inner peace that she could find in few other places. The foliage was in the center of four halls creating a square shape which overflowed with flowers and vines giving it a wild look. The corridors of the palace that surrounded it were open, the sides closest to the greenery were cut out so that a person could look out directly into the flora and take in their exotic beauty.

Leaning against one of the support beams that held up the roof of the hall, she became lost in her thoughts. She didn't know what to do with the knowledge that she had been given, she had been placed in a situation where she knew certain things but didn't know the entire story. She didn't know if there were precise things that she needed to do in order to get on the path that had been set before her or if she should just coast until she reached a point in which she must take action.

It was all so frustrating, not knowing the exact things that were to occur but knowing what the final picture would be. The most annoying of all was the fact that she could not tell Sesshomaru of her plight though she sorely wanted to break the rules and spill everything. She knew that although he was not the most kind of beings he cared for her, in his own way. She could see it in his actions, the way he silently defended her against his own citizens and most importantly how he entrusted her with the care of his precious Rin.

She had won him over, somehow that baffled her still, and she hated betraying his trust. That's what it was, trust that she would not cross him; trust that she would do what was needed, and trust that she would protect Rin. She had earned it and knew that he gave no second chances with such a precious gift, if she were to betray him now it would never be recovered so long as the daiyoukai was alive.

Coming to a decision she said to hell with the kami's, it was her life and she made the decisions in it. If she chose to tell Sesshomaru of her destiny then it was her place to do so. Nodding her head once she turned to seek out the Lord of the West.

She never made it though. The moment she pivoted to stride down the hall a dark cloth sack was tossed over her head and she was bodily hauled upon a firm shoulder that dug into her stomach. Thinking to make a racket so that someone may come for her she opened her mouth to scream. All that came out was a small moan as she was hit hard over the head with a solid object and consciousness left her.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sesshomaru sat in the dining hall that the miko had just recently vacated, cursing himself for losing his temper and taking it out on the fine china that had been placed before him. Unfortunately for the dishware it had been the closest thing for him to grab and throw in his momentary lapse of judgment. Fortunately for the Western Lord it hadn't been the expensive set but rather the day-to-day collection that they used for informal events.

His thoughts were racing, though his face remained calm and composed. The miko's station in his home was deteriorating quickly as the occupants of the palace became restless in response to her odd behavior. It didn't help that she was miko and therefore had spiritual powers that could decimate every occupant within the castle walls, save himself and the few humans that occupied the grounds.

If he could not get the girl to tell him exactly what was going on he knew he was going to have a riot on his hands, or at the very least rebels who sought to take matters into their own hands should he remain inactive in the situation. He didn't want to press her for information, the possibility of her still breaking down from her ordeal in the Northern Lord's dungeon was very real and it was the last thing that needed to happen at that point.

He looked up towards the doors to the room when he sensed a presence on the other side before they were quickly slid open revealing one of his many guards in the palace. This particular guard had been charged with the duty of protecting Kagome and the very fact that the miko was not in Sesshomaru's presence nor with the guard alerted the Lord that something was wrong.

"Speak, Kaito." Sesshomaru waited, appraising the guard and how he was fidgeting in the doorway.

"The Lady Kagome, m'lord. She is missing." Kaito winced as the Lord completely stilled and the area around them went completely silent.

"Why were you not with her?" The words were quiet, but the underlying fury could be sensed and the guard knew he was treading on dangerous ground.

"I sensed that she left the dining hall and when I came to meet her to escort her to her rooms she was gone. I sought her out and when I couldn't find her I sent others out to locate her. But, m'lord, she is nowhere in the palace or on the grounds." Kaito dropped to one knee before Sesshomaru after he spoke the words, knowing that his fury would be great. Waiting for the outburst that was surely to come from the Lord he only blinked in shock as a slight breeze brushed across his skin and looked up to find the daiyoukai gone. "That went better than expected."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome groaned as she slowly came back to consciousness, "Why with the kidnapping? Why always with the back and the hitting?" She looked around slowly, careful not to move her head too quickly for fear of bringing back the sharp pain she could feel resting just beneath her skull. She noticed that she was in a cell, a cold one, and the only source of light was through the bars on the other side of the room.

It was like the last cell she had been in, too much like the last cell she had been in. All of the memories, the fear, the intense pain of hunger and thirst, came rushing back to her in that moment. She had thought she was recovered but instead of being able to stand she fell back into a tight ball on the floor, burying her head against her knees and blocking out all of the light and instead looking into the comforting darkness that occupied the space between her chest and legs.

She was trying to get it together, to pull herself from the memories that felt so real she could almost hear the screams of the phantoms that haunted her mind. She could almost hear the daunting footsteps of the demon that had attacked her walking along the halls. It was too much, too quickly, too overpowering. She whimpered and clutched her legs desperately with her hands needing something, anything, to hold on to, to ground her and help her pull her mind out of the fear.

"Please, Sesshomaru, save me." She prayed and imagined the Lord walking down the hall that led to her cell, once again covering her with his kimono and telling her that everything would be alright. It was a nice delusion, she decided. It was better than the cold, damp room that she was currently in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He was furious. At himself, at the other demons in his home, at the miko for wandering off on her own, but mostly at the situation he had been placed in. He had to find her, there was no option there. He couldn't just look the other way and let her figure out her own life. Sesshomaru had taken Kagome into his care and had promised to protect her, to give her a safe place to live until destiny called upon her once again. But most of all she had wormed her way into his life, into his family, however strange and twisted that family might be, and she was too important to him to just leave her to her fate.

He cared for her, this he knew before this most recent situation had occurred. What he hadn't realized was the depth of his emotion for the girl, how terrified he was for her safety although he would not allow himself to show such a weak emotion in front of others. To them this was simply a duty to protect a guest, a very important guest, and to send a message to the other demons in his home that this was not to be tolerated on any level as it was disobedience to his station.

But inside, he wanted to find the culprit and shred them to pieces limb by limb and watch them suffer. It took him by surprise, this anger and other mix of emotions, blindsiding him with their intensity. Later he would analyze them and figure out just what was going on with his wayward sentiments, but for now finding the miko was the topmost priority.

He sent every trusted guard that he had in search of her, refusing to accept defeat. It had been days since he had found out about her disappearance but he would not rest until he knew that she was back safe under his protection.

However, every time one of his soldiers reported in there was no change; she had not been found and there were no leads to her location. He was starting to lose patience as he would be out searching for her but instead had to attend to matters within his own home. The first and foremost being Rin, who, since the moment she was told, had been in near hysterics at the disappearance of her beloved Kagome. Sesshomaru could not understand the attachment as the two girls held no relation but he guessed that the child held a love for the miko much like a daughter would have for their mother.

The Lord also had to take measures to ensure that no others would presume to take the same action towards Rin or the other humans in the palace. He had to essentially put his home back in order and give an official decree that this behavior would not be tolerated in the future by anyone and was punishable by death should any further offences occur.

Yet still, days passed and there was no sign of the miko. Sesshomaru was becoming restless; his soldiers were the best and if they couldn't find anything about the miko then that meant one of two things: she was being held by someone from his own home. Or she was dead.

He refused to accept the second possibility and instead focused on any characters in his palace that could be behind this attack on his home. But still, he found nothing.

It wasn't until one night he entered his personal chambers and sensed a presence beside his own within the walls. Snarling he pivoted to face the far corner of the bedroom and narrowed his gaze upon the being that was standing and calmly staring back at him.

He studied the figure, which was distinctly female and garbed in the most peculiar clothing he had ever laid eyes upon. The material looked to be made of animal skins that had been dried and cut into strips of cloth. She was by far the most indecently dressed woman he had ever seen, even more than when the miko used to wear those strange cloths that barely covered her. The fur had been stretched just enough to cover the woman to retain some modesty but her stomach, legs, and arms were fully exposed. But even so that was not the interesting thing that made him stare at this woman; she was transparent. He could see the detailing in the wood behind her but he could also distinctly see her and how beautiful she was.

She smiled at him after a moment, and spoke, "Lord Sesshomaru, we finally meet. The Lady Kagome has told me much about you." She simply stared at him through warm, brown eyes that sparkled with mischief.

"Who are you?" He spoke the words regally, as if giving her an order, and was surprised when she simply laughed at him.

"Do not presume to control me, Lord Sesshomaru. You're existence wasn't even preordained by the Kami's themselves when I walked this Earth. But I shall answer your questions nonetheless. My name is Kayame and I am one of The Departed. We have much to talk about, I think." She smiled at him, a smile full of secrets and knowledge that thoroughly irritated the daiyoukai.

When he said nothing she continued, "I am sure you have seen the Lady Kagome speaking to herself as it has led to this current predicament. She was about to tell you everything, if that's any consolation, but she was captured instead and brought to a place where only you can find her. She was speaking to us, if you haven't figured that out yet, and was not in fact crazy like those around you presumed her to be." She paused, for effect he assumed, before grinning and continuing on, "We, The Departed, are the messengers from the Kamis. We are used to give messages to the inhabitants of the Earth as they are no longer able to join us on this plane of existence. You'll have to figure out why later as it is not my mission to tell you such information, but I promise you'll know in due time.

"For now though, I must teach you a lesson about yourself that you did not know before and which the miko Kagome is unaware. You two are connected." She had the gall to wink, _wink,_ at him before continuing with her story. He was fast losing patience with this being and his claws itched to take out his frustration upon her, but his curiosity got the better of him so he let her continue. "You may have wondered why your feelings are so turbulent regarding the miko. There is a reason for this. The two of you were created to be two halves to one whole; essentially she's the emotions and you're the logic. The point here, Sesshomaru, is that only you can find her and in this it will solidify her trust in you, which is essential for the battle to come. Look within yourself and find that connection and it will lead you to her."

He watched as she looked over her shoulder as if seeking the approval of some being that he could not see before she turned back to him and nodded once, "That is all I can tell you right now, but never fear. We will meet again." She flashed him one last devious smile before she faded into the shadows of the room, her aura fading with her until the Lord knew that he was once again alone.

Irritated, he perched himself upon the edge of his futon to gather himself and his thoughts. There was no way this was possible, he couldn't have such a connection to the miko. It didn't make any sense. If he was so attached to her why did he try and kill her when they first encountered each other. Why didn't he sense it before?

As a being who thought he was completely aware of himself and his capabilities, this new revelation was rather disconcerting. But he had no doubts that the messenger was from the kami's, the holy aura surrounding the being confirmed Kayame's statement.

Deciding that there was no harm in testing the messenger's theory he centered himself with some quick meditation practices that he had studied as a child. Quickly, unbidden, a memory surfaced of how his instructors when he was younger had always said there was something different about him, not just that he was powerful, but there was something in him that was different from any other being they had ever encountered. Could this be what they were talking about?

Focusing once again he reached deep within himself and sought the connection that Kayame had spoken of. Searching and filtering through all of the layers of his being he found it, the string of life that was a part of him yet was still separate from his own life force. This was it, the connection he had been told of.

Instead of focusing on the fact that his destiny had just been altered so drastically that he couldn't seem to realize the depth of it he sought out the miko and where she was located.

After a few moments of silence, fierce golden eyes opened in the empty room, "Found you."

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A/N: I hope this is still as entertaining as those of you had told me this was! I hope you're enjoying the read and that I will still get some love from all of you! The support is awesome and as always any constructive criticism, ideas, and questions are welcome! Thank you!


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